Vertical game board and playing pieces including move setting mechanisms

ABSTRACT

A competitive game of skill for two players has a playing board common to the players divided into a grid-like arrangement of playing areas. Playing pieces for each player are adapted to be mounted for player selected and controlled movement between the playing areas; the selected movement being concealed until such time as the player decides to move the playing piece.

United States Patent Moe et al. Dec. 16, 1975 [5 1 VERTICAL GAME BOARD AND PLAYING 3,048,404 8/1962 Tebbs 273/131 K PIECES INCLUDING MOVE SETTING 3,709,498 1/1973 Liston 273/13 1 B 3,747,933 7/1973 Parker 273/131 B MECHANISMS Inventors: Walter Moe, Huntington Station,

Long Island; Michael Meyers, Fort Salonga, both of NY.

Aurora Products Corporation, West Hempstead, N.Y.

Filed: Dec. 20, 1973 Appl. No.: 426,550

Assignee:

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1941 Moore 273/137 AB FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS 259,904 6/1913 Germany 1. 273/137 AC Primary ExaminerAnton O. Oechsle Assistant ExaminerMarvin Siskind [57] ABSTRACT A competitive game of skill for two players has a playing board common to the players divided into a gridlike arrangement of playing areas. Playing pieces for each player are adapted to be mounted for player selected and controlled movement between the playing areas; the selected movement being concealed until such time as the player decides to move the playing piece.

18 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 16, 1975 Sheet 1 of3 3326,37

FIG.

US. atent Dec. 16, 1975 Sheet20f3 3,926,437

US. Patent Dec. 16, 1975 Sheet3of3 3,926,437

FIG. IO.

VERTICAL GAME BOARD AND PLAYING PIECES INCLUDING MOVE SETTING MECHANISMS The invention relates to apparatus for playing a game of skill.

It is well-known that there are numerous games of skill which utilize a game board and which are played by moving playing pieces or markers over a set course; the moves being determined by throwing dice, spinning an indicator relative to a fixed set of marks, or drawing cards.

In these games, each players playing piece is always visible to all other players and the direction of movement is predetermined by the layout of the game board. To increase the excitement of these games, cards or other identifying means are often used to indicate penalties or rewards when a players playing piece becomes positioned on certain predetermined points along the preset course of the game.

Recently, a new and exciting game concept was devised which is dependent upon the skill and ingenuity of the players and eliminates the elements of luck which play a great part in previous games. According to this game concept, a playing board, common to the players, is formed with a series of evenly spaced horizontal and vertical holes which support a number of playing pieces. Each player has one directional indicator which can be selectively concealed from the view of the other players, and while so concealed is preset in a proposed direction of movement for one of the playing pieces. Depending upon the relative positions and indicated directions of movement for the playing pieces, playing pieces are eliminated from the playing board until only one remains. The player who owns this remaining piece is declared the winner of the game.

To increase the excitement of the game still further and require greater skill and ingenuity on the part of the players, each player, in accordance with this invention, is provided with a number of playing pieces which are adapted to be movably mounted on a playing board, arranged with a number playing areas, which is common to the players. Each playing piece has an individually controlled indicator which can be selectively concealed, and which the player uses to preset the direction and distance of movement for the playing piece over the playing board.

To play the game, each player mounts his playing pieces on the common playing board with the playing pieces concealed from the other player and preset in a proposed direction and distance of movement-The first player to go, reveals one of his playing pieces to the other player and moves the playing piece over the playing board the direction and distance indicated. After the playing piece has been moved, the player again conceals that playing piece and sets a new direction and distance of movement for that piece. The second player now reveals one of his playing pieces to the other player and moves in the direction and distance indicated. When one playing piece lands in an area of the playing board occupied by the playing piece of another player, the playing piece occupying that area is captured and must be removed from the playing board. The game continues until all the playing pieces of one of the players are removed.

Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon the consideration of the following detailed description of the pres- 2. ently preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a front elevation view of the playing board showing the game pieces mounted thereon and the game in progress. 1

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the game board shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of a typical game piece for use in the game.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIG. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrow and showing the concealing member of the game piece rotated to the dotted position to reveal the indicator and playing piece to the opposing player.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrow.

FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of another embodiment of a game piece for use in the game.

FIG. 8 is a rear elevation view of the game piece of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the game piece shown in FIG. 7, showing the relative orientation and positions of the various components thereof.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line 1010 of FIG. 7 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the figures, and particularly to FIGS. l3, the game generally has a number of game pieces 10 mounted on a playing board 12 vertically supported on base 14 between two opposing players. The playing board is preferably made of a transparent plastic material, arranged in a grid to form a plurality of playing areas 16 with five areas vertically and six areas horizontally. Each playing area has a slit 18 which can support a game piece during the play of the game. The base has three slots 20 (one of which are shown in FIG. 1) formed in a central raised portion 22 which are adapted to receive three tabs 22 extending downwardly from the bottom of the playing board to support the playing board in an upright vertical position during the play of the game. Arranged in the base on opposite sides of the playing board are storage areas 26 having channels 28 which provide storage for the game pieces during the play of the game.

Referring to FIGS. 4-'6, each game piece includes a housing 30 having top, bottom and side walls, 32, 34 and 36, respectively, and an opening in the rear which is substantially the same size as one of the areas in the playing board. The top, bottom and side walls are preferably tapered inwardly from the rear towards the front of the housing with the top and bottom walls extending further forward than the side walls. Mounted at the central rear portion of the top wall is a hanging hook 38 which is adapted to interengage with the slot in the playing area to to hold the game piece during the play of the game.

Secured across the front of the housing is a clear plastic window 40. Mounted on the window is a combined playing piece 42 in the form of a WWI vintage aircraft and indicator 44 for setting the direction and distance of movement for the game piece during the play of the game. The indicator includes a knob 46 having a triangular pointer 48. The combined aircraft and indicator rotate with respect to indicia 50, formed on the window, which respresent angles, in multiples of of possible movement for the game piece. Perferably, the pointer is on the center line of the aircraft and points in the forward direction thereof so that either the aircraft or the pointer provides the direction information.

In one form of mounting arrangement, the knob has a rearwardly extending shaft which is split in half to form two flexible spring-like elements, each having a hook at its rearward end. The flexible elements extend through a hole in the window and through a hole in the central portion of the aircraft to hold the aircraft and knob together. The hole is keyed so that the pointer on the indicator points forwardly along the center line of the aircraft.

Mounted in each housing is a shield which is selectively movable by a player to conceal or reveal the indicator and playing piece during the course of the game. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4-6, shield 50 is in the form of an axially cut opaque plastic cylinder which is mounted for rotation about its axis in openings between the window and the walls of the housing. The cylinder is provided with a finger tab 52 along one side to permit the shield to be conveniently rotated.

Another embodiment of the game piece is shown in FIGS. 7-10. As shown in these FIGS, the game piece includes an outer housing 62 having a hanging hook 64 and opaque side and rear walls 66, 68, respectively, with a central cutout or window in the rear wall. Mounted to the inner surface of the rear wall of the housing and extending over window 70 is a first sheet of polarizing material 72. The sheet is preferably formed with a cutout 74 at one corner to orient the polarization plane of the sheet with respect to the housing.

Rotatably mounted in the outer housing is inner cylindrical housing 76 which has opaque side and rear walls and a central cutout or window 78. Secured to the inner surface of the rear wall of the inner housing is a second sheet of polarizing material 80 extending over the entire window area of the inner housing. Sheet 80 is mounted with its polarization plane oriented with respect to key 82 on the inner housing. Also formed on the inner housing is an extending finger tab 84 which is gripped by the player for rotation of the inner housing.

A combined playing piece 86 and indicator 88 is rotatably mounted on front transparent window 90 which is secured in a groove in the front face of the outer housing. The indicator has a triangular pointer 92 with a detent 94 which is arranged to engage one of a plurality of holes 96 in the front window to hold the indicator stationary during the play of the game. A 90 portion of the window is cut away to allow a controlled 90 rotation of the inner housing with respect to the outer housing. With this arrangement it will be understood that the two sheets of polarizing material act as a shield and by the cooperation of the inner and outer housing, the combined indicator and playing piece can be selectively concealed or revealed during the play of the game. For example, with the finger tab 84 in a position shown in FIG. 7, the polarization planes of sheets 72 and 80 are substantially perpendicular and the combined indicator and playing piece cannot be seen through the two sheets from the rear of the game piece (FIG. 8). By rotating the inner housing 90, as controlled by the cutaway portion of the window, the polarization planes of sheet 72 and sheet 80 become substantially parallel so that the combined indicator can be seen through the two sheets from the rear of the game piece. Thus, the cooperation of the sheets of polarizing material selectively conceals and reveals, under the control of the player, the playing piece during the play of the game.

In the preferred method of play, playing board is mounted in the base in a vertically upright position between two opposing players. Each player has three game pieces which are mounted in the top, middle, and bottom playing areas of the extreme left vertical row of playing areas with each of the combined indicators concealed from the opposing player. After each player has mounted the game pieces, each combined playing piece and indicator is preset to a direction of movement by rotating the indicator into alignment with one of the indicia on the window. To provide increased excitement to the game, a playing piece is allowed to move one playing area when moving in the upward di rection, two playing areas when moving horizontally, and three playing areas when moving downwardly so that setting the indicator also sets the distance of movement.

The first player to go reveals the preset direction and distance of movement for one of his playing pieces to his opponent by rotating the shield from its position within the housing. The player then moves the playing piece the direction and distance indicated to another playing area on the game board. After the player completes his move, he resets the shield to conceal his playing piece and sets a new direction of movement for the playing piece which has just been moved. The other player now reveals one of his indicators and moves the playing piece in accordance with the preset direction and distance. Play continues using the same sequence of events:

1. revealing the indicator;

2. moving the playing piece the direction and distance indicated; and

3. concealing the indicator and setting a new direction and distance of movement.

When a playing piece of one of the players lands in a playing area occupied by a playing piece of the opposing player, the opposing player must remove his playing piece from the playing board. This rule applies except when both playing pieces are directly facing each other. This situation is considered to be a standoff, and the attacking player, i.e. the one who had just revealed the indicator, does not move his playing piece while the player whose playing piece is under attack is allowed to move the playing piece a contiguous playing area. Each player then resets a new direction of movement for his playing piece and the attacking player resumes play in the normal manner.

A typical situation during the course of the game is shown in the drawings. Each player has lost one playing piece, which is shown stored in the base. The player on the near side of the playing board (indicated by the letter N in FIG. 2) has playing pieces 10A and 10B which are set respectively for horizontal and vertical movement and the opponent on the far side of the pl aying board (indicated by the letter F in FIG. 2) has playing pieces 10C and 10D. The direction of movement of the playing piece 10D is concealed from the player on the near side and the player on the far side has just revealed the playing piece 10C to the near side player. Since the far side players playing piece is set for movement diagnally upward to the left, the playing piece is moved in that direction, one playing area thereby landing in the playing area occupied by playing piece 10A belonging to the near side player. The near side player must remove playing piece IDA-fromtheplayng board.

While only certain embodiments of this invention have been described and illust-rated, it will be clear that variations of the general arrangement andpf the details of construction may be resorted to without departing" from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A game apparatus comprising a playing board common to the players and playing pieces adapted to be mounted for movement across said playing board, each of said playing pieces including player controlled means for presetting said playing piece in a selected direction of movement and means for selectively concealing said playing piece to prevent premature discovery of the preset selected direction of movement for the playing piece.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said concealing means includes a shield member and means for mounting said shield member for movement relative to said playing piece.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said concealing means includes an axially cut opaque cylindrical shield member and means for mounting said shield member to said playing piece for rotation about its axis.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said concealing means includes a pair of sheets of polarizing material, said sheets of material being mounted for relative movement between a first position wherein the angle between the polarization planes of the sheets permit the presetting means to be seen throught both sheets of material and a second position wherein the angle between the polarization planes of the sheets prevents the presetting means from being seen through both sheets of polarizing material.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein the planes of polarization of the sheets of polarizing material are substantially parallel when the sheets are in the first relative position and substantially perpendicular when the sheets are in the second relative position.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said presetting means includes a pointer mounted for rotation with said playing piece with respect to a plurality of indicia to indicate the preset direction of movement of the playing piece.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said presetting means includes a detent and said indicia include a plurality of holes cooperatively positioned to engage said detent to hold said presetting means in the selected direction.

8. An apparatus for a game of skill to be played by two players comprising a playing board including a plurality of playing areas adapted to be substantially vertically mounted between the two players, game pieces adapted to be mounted for movement by the opposing players on opposite sides of the playing board, each game piece including a combined playing piece and indicator rotatably mounted in the game piece for indicating a player selected and controlled direction of movement of the game piece during the course of the game and a shield means for selectively concealing the combined playing piece and indicator from the opposing player to prevent discovery of a selected direction of movement.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further including a front window having a plurality of indicia thereon secured to the game piece for indicating proposed directions of means include an opaq movement of said game piece said combinedplaying piece and indicator being mounted on; said .window'f or' rotation with fre sp'ect to said. plurality of'indicia,

.10.. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said shield axially. .cut cylinder mounted for axial rotatio n within "the game piece.

11. An apparatusfor' a' gameof skill' two"players comprising a transparent playing board having a plurality of rectilinear playing areas dividing said playing board into a plurality of vertical columns and horizontal rows, means vertically mounting said playing board between two playing positions to be occupied by said players, a plurality of playing pieces, interengaging means associated with said playing pieces and said playing areas for mounting said playing pieces on opposite sides of said playing board for movement between said playing areas, each playing piece including means for presetting a vertical, horizontal or diagonal direction of movement for the playing piece over the playing board and means for concealing the preset direction of movement for each playing piece, each playing piece being moved across the opposite sides of the playing board in accordance with the player selected and controlled direction of movement after the preset direction of movement is revealed to the opposing player and playing pieces being eliminated from the playing board when the playing piece of one player moves to a playing area occupied by the playing piece of the other player until all the playing pieces of one of the players is eliminated from the playing board.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the concealing means includes an axially cut opaque cylinder and means for mounting said cylinder for rotation about said playing piece.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further including a housing and means mounting said playing piece and concealing means in said housing.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 further including indicator means for indicating said preset direction of movement for said playing piece and means for movably mounting said indicator means with respect to said housing.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 further including indicator means and means rotatably mounting said indicator means and said playing piece for indicating the preset direction of movement for said playing piece.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said interengaging means includes a hook member associated with said playing piece and a slot formed in each playing area.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 1 wherein said presetting means includes means for rotating said playing piece to indicate a preset direction of movement for the playing piece.

18. An apparatus for a game of skill to be played by two players comprising a transparent playing board having a plurality of recitilinear playing areas dividing said playing board into a plurality of vertical columns and horizontal rows, means vertically mouting said playing board between two playing positions to be occupied by said players, a plurality of playing pieces, interengaging means associated with said playing pieces and said playing areas for mounting said playing pieces on opposite sides of said playing board for movement between said playing areas, each playing piece including means for presetting a direction of movement for the playing piece over the playing board and means for concealing the preset direction of movement for each to be played by 8 ing piece of one player moves to a playing area occupied by the playing piece of the other player, the playing pieces which have been removed being placed in the storage means, play continuing until all the playing pieces of one of the players is eliminated from the playing board. 

1. A game apparatus comprising a playing board common to the players and playing pieces adapted to be mounted for movement across said playing board, each of said playing pieces including player controlled means for presetting said playing piece in a selected direction of movement and means for selectively concealing said playing piece to prevent premature discovery of the preset selected direction of movement for the playing piece.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said concealing means includes a shield member and means for mounting said shield member for movement relative to said playing piece.
 3. The combination of claim 1 Wherein said concealing means includes an axially cut opaque cylindrical shield member and means for mounting said shield member to said playing piece for rotation about its axis.
 4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said concealing means includes a pair of sheets of polarizing material, said sheets of material being mounted for relative movement between a first position wherein the angle between the polarization planes of the sheets permit the presetting means to be seen throught both sheets of material and a second position wherein the angle between the polarization planes of the sheets prevents the presetting means from being seen through both sheets of polarizing material.
 5. The combination of claim 4 wherein the planes of polarization of the sheets of polarizing material are substantially parallel when the sheets are in the first relative position and substantially perpendicular when the sheets are in the second relative position.
 6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said presetting means includes a pointer mounted for rotation with said playing piece with respect to a plurality of indicia to indicate the preset direction of movement of the playing piece.
 7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said presetting means includes a detent and said indicia include a plurality of holes cooperatively positioned to engage said detent to hold said presetting means in the selected direction.
 8. An apparatus for a game of skill to be played by two players comprising a playing board including a plurality of playing areas adapted to be substantially vertically mounted between the two players, game pieces adapted to be mounted for movement by the opposing players on opposite sides of the playing board, each game piece including a combined playing piece and indicator rotatably mounted in the game piece for indicating a player selected and controlled direction of movement of the game piece during the course of the game and a shield means for selectively concealing the combined playing piece and indicator from the opposing player to prevent discovery of a selected direction of movement.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 further including a front window having a plurality of indicia thereon secured to the game piece for indicating proposed directions of movement of said game piece said combined playing piece and indicator being mounted on said window for rotation with respect to said plurality of indicia.
 10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said shield means include an opaque axially cut cylinder mounted for axial rotation within the game piece.
 11. An apparatus for a game of skill to be played by two players comprising a transparent playing board having a plurality of rectilinear playing areas dividing said playing board into a plurality of vertical columns and horizontal rows, means vertically mounting said playing board between two playing positions to be occupied by said players, a plurality of playing pieces, interengaging means associated with said playing pieces and said playing areas for mounting said playing pieces on opposite sides of said playing board for movement between said playing areas, each playing piece including means for presetting a vertical, horizontal or diagonal direction of movement for the playing piece over the playing board and means for concealing the preset direction of movement for each playing piece, each playing piece being moved across the opposite sides of the playing board in accordance with the player selected and controlled direction of movement after the preset direction of movement is revealed to the opposing player and playing pieces being eliminated from the playing board when the playing piece of one player moves to a playing area occupied by the playing piece of the other player until all the playing pieces of one of the players is eliminated from the playing board.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the concealing means includes an axially cut opaque cylinder and means for mounting said cylinder for rotation abOut said playing piece.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12 further including a housing and means mounting said playing piece and concealing means in said housing.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13 further including indicator means for indicating said preset direction of movement for said playing piece and means for movably mounting said indicator means with respect to said housing.
 15. The apparatus of claim 13 further including indicator means and means rotatably mounting said indicator means and said playing piece for indicating the preset direction of movement for said playing piece.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said interengaging means includes a hook member associated with said playing piece and a slot formed in each playing area.
 17. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said presetting means includes means for rotating said playing piece to indicate a preset direction of movement for the playing piece.
 18. An apparatus for a game of skill to be played by two players comprising a transparent playing board having a plurality of recitilinear playing areas dividing said playing board into a plurality of vertical columns and horizontal rows, means vertically mouting said playing board between two playing positions to be occupied by said players, a plurality of playing pieces, interengaging means associated with said playing pieces and said playing areas for mounting said playing pieces on opposite sides of said playing board for movement between said playing areas, each playing piece including means for presetting a direction of movement for the playing piece over the playing board and means for concealing the preset direction of movement for each playing piece, storage means in said vertically mounting means for holding said playing pieces, each playing piece being moved across the playing board in accordance with the player selected and controlled direction of movement after the preset direction of movement is revealed to the opposing player and playing pieces being eliminated from the playing board when the playing piece of one player moves to a playing area occupied by the playing piece of the other player, the playing pieces which have been removed being placed in the storage means, play continuing until all the playing pieces of one of the players is eliminated from the playing board. 